Electrolytic cell.



T. GRISWOLD, Jr ELECTROLYTIG CELL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15,1911.

LQWA@ 4 Patented Aug. 1Q, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

To all whom, it may concern.'

I UNITED sTATEs lPATENT oFFIcE.

THOMAS GRISWOLD, JR., OF MIDLAND, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY, 0F MIDLAND, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

I ELECTnoLYTrc cELL.

I Specification of Letters Patent. y Patented Allg'. 19, 1913.

Application filed June 15, 1911. Serial No. 633,320.

Be it known that I, THOMAS Gmswow, Jr., a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Midland, county of Midland, and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electrol tic Cells, of which the following is a speci cation, the )rinciple of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it-from other inventions. v

The present improvements relate more particularly to the construction of bi-polar electrodes for usein electrolytic cells of t-he kind illustrated, for example, inmy Patent No. 987,717, dated March 28, 1911. In the form of cell illust-rated, in such patent, a solid block of carbon, 'graphit-e, or other equivalent material is-used as electrode.

The object of the present improvements is toprovide an electrode that, while retaining all of the advantages of the patented construction, will, nevertheless, require less carbon or graphite for the construction of a cell of given output or capacity; as also to permit the use in the construction of such electrodes of carbon or graphite in forms in which it is more. readily obtainable, and at a lowercost, than the large integral blocks, or plates, illustrated in the pate-nt;

A further object is to permit the renewal of those parts of the electrodes which wear away most rapidly, with a minimum of expense and trouble.

To the accom lishment of the above and related ends, sai v invention, then, consists cf the means hereirafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certainy mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used. In said annexed drawings :-Figure 1 represents an elevational View of an electrode constructed in accordance with the present invention, a broken section of a. diaphragm normally associated with such electrode-appeari-n therewith; Fiox2 is a transverse section 0% a series of cells built up of electrodes, such as illustrated in Fig. 1;v Fig. 3 illustrates in a similar section, a modified construction of electrode; and Figs. 4 and 5 respectively illustrate yet other modified forms.

The present improved electrode may be described in a general way as being a composlte one, made by inserting, or otherwise fixing, in a suitable carrying member, one, or many bi-polar .carbon electrodes. This carrymg member may be constructed of any suitable material adapted for the purpose for which the cell is to be used; thus wood, soap stone, slate, cement, glass, stone-ware pr the like, may be used in such construc- The bi-polar electrodes are composed of non-porous carbon blocks, rods, or pencils inserted in the aforesaid carrying members, the lengths of the projecting portions of said electrodes being properly proportioned to the space left between the contiguously disposed faces ofthe successive electrodes when assembled to-form cells. Such electrodes may be inserted into holes in the carrying members provided for this purpose and may be secured therein with any suityable cement or lute; or the vholes may be of such a. size that the electrodes will fit them accurately without luting. The form, also, of the carrying members may be various, so long as they are adapted, either alone or in conjunction with other members, to form a series of successive cells such as disclosed in the patent above referred to. Thus in Figs. 1 and 2', such carrying members consist of at plates 1 through holes 3 in whichthe bipolar electrodes 2 are passed, and then cemented or otherwise secured, as above described, such plates being formed with raised annular margins-of such dimensions, that when two of them with their bi-polar electrodes, are brought together face to face, they form between them a chamber or cell 5 for the reception of the electrolyte. Il dethereof the 'terminal anode and cathode of sired, a diaphragm 6 may be secured in poparticularly adapted, the arrangement of Fig. 2 in which a plate 1 with such improved electrodes constitutes the terminal anode of the series of cells, and a plate 8,

' the terminal cathode, is a preferred arrangement. I l

In the modification in the construction of the carrying member illustrated in Fig. 3, the carrying member consists of a simple flat plate 9, somewhat as before, but without the enlarged margins 4. Such plate is then secured in an annular frame 10, corresponding in `a way with the enlarged margins of the previous construct-ion. Fig. 4 shows the electrode carrying member as consisting of a plate 11 with an enlarged margin 4 on its one face only, the proper spacing of the opposite face from that of the next adjacent electrode being secured by interposing an open frame 12 of the proper dimensions and thickness. Indeed, as illustrated in Fig. 5, such frames may be employed on bothsides of a flat-like member 13 for carrying the electrodes, thus simplifying the construction of thecarrying members, although increasing the number of joints in the assembled series of cells.

Where rods or pencils of carbon are used for insertion in the carrying members to form the composite electrodes, it will be readily understood that such rods, being a staple article of commerce and having eXtensive use in other connections, may be obtained more cheaply than specially constructed blocks of carbon of suitable dimensions for use in the construction of cells, such as those in hand. Furthermore, the renewal of the corroded anodes is readily accomplished, and with much less expense for material, in the present construction, than where solid electrodes are used. It

will also be seen that when the anode of the bi-polar electrodes become reduced to use, the current can be reversed through the cells and thus the ends of the electrodes, which were formerly anodes will then become cathodes and a new period of use be obtained from the cells, before renewal of electrodes becomes necessary.

Neither the specic construction of the carrying member, as has already been indicated, is material, nor is the use of any spe cific form of diaphragm involved as a part of the present invention. Similarly, the manner in which the cell is fed, or in which the products, resulting from the electrolysis carried on therein, are removed, constitutes no part of the invention, the arrangements for these several purposes that -are illustrated being merely typical.

With regard to the material used for the carrying member, it may be remarked that certain materials will be more acceptable for use with forms than with other; thus the form of member illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 is conveniently constructed of Portland cevInent or other plastic compound which ma be molded into the form shown, either wit the electrodes in lace, or inserted afterward. The forms illustrated in Figs.v 3 and 4 are well adapted to be constructed out of soap-stone or slate, where flat slabs-of such material may be employed. Both in this construction and in that of Fig. 3, the carrying member may obviously be made of one material, while the enlarged margin, being separate from the plate, may be of another, different material. These enlarged margins, as they have been termed where integral with the plate, or annular frames, as they have been termed where separate from such plate, may be more simply designated as separating members, their function being to form a chamber for the electrolyte when interposed between successive carrying members, proper. By reason of the nonconducting character of the materials, specii'ed above as adapted for use in the construction of these carrying members, it will be seen that the electrode elements are the individual carbon blocks, rods or pencils inserted in such carrying members.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention 1. An electrolytic cell comprising two bipolar electrodes and a separating member secured therebetween, whereby" a chamber for the electrolyte is formed, said electrodes each consisting of a carrying member and electrode elements removably secured thereto.

2. An electrolytic cell comprising two bipolar electrodes and a separating member secured therebetween, whereby a chamber for the electrolyte is formed, said electrodes each consisting of a carrying member of non-conducting material and electrode elements of conducting material secured thereto.

3. An electrolytic cell comprising two bipolar electrodes and a separating member secured therebetween, whereby a chamber for the electrolyte is formed, said electrodes each consisting of a plate-like carrying member and electrode elements secured in saidV member so as to project on both sides of the same. j

4. An electrolytic cell comprising two bipolar electrodes and a separating member secured therebetween, whereby a chamber for the electrolyte is formed, saidelectrodes each consisting of a plate-like carrying member and ele'ctrode elements removably secured in said member so as to project on both sides of the same.

5. An electrolytic cell comprising two bipolar electrodes and a separating member secured therebetween, whereby a chamber for the electrolyte is formed, said electrodes each consisting of a plate-like carrying member of non-conducting material and electrode elements of conducting material removably secured in said member so as to project on both sides of the same.

6. An electrolytic cell comprising two bipolar electrodes and a separat-ing member secured therebetween, whereby a chamber for the electrolyte is formed, said electrodes each consisting of a plate-like carrying member of non-conducting material and carbon pencils removably secured in said member so as to project on both sides of the same.

7. A series of electrolytic cells consisting of a plurality of bi-polar electrodes and separating members alternately arranged and held together, each pair of electrodes, jointly with the interposed separating member, forming a chamber for the reception of the electrolyte and such electrodes each consisting of a carrying member and electrode elements removably secured thereto.

8. A series of electrolytic cells consisting of a plurality of bi-polar electrodes ,and separatlng members alternately arranged and held together, each pair of electrodes jointly with the interposed separating member, forming a chamber for the reception of the electrolyte and such electrodes each consistlng of a carrying member of non-conducting material and electrode elements secured thereto.

9. A series of electrolytic cells consisting of a plurality of bi-polar electrodes and separating members alternately arranged and held together, each pair of electrodes, jointly with the interposed separating member, forming a chamber for the reception of the electrolyte and such electrodes each consisting of a plate-like carrying member and electro-de elements secured in said member so as to project on both sides of the same.

10. A series of electrolytic cells consisting of a plurality of bi-polar electrodes and separating members alternately arranged and held together, each pair of electrodes, jointly with the interposed separating member, forming a chamber for the reception of the electrolyte and such electrodes each consisting of a plate-like carrying member and electrode elements removably secured in said member so as to project on both sides of the same.

11. A series of elect-rolytic cells consisting of a plurality of bi-polar electrodes and separating members alternately arranged and held together, each pair of electrodes, jointly. with the interposed separating member,

forming a chamber for the reception of the electrolyte and such electrodes each consisting of a plate-like carrying member of nonconducting material and electrode elements of conducting material removably secured t in said member so as toproject on both sidesv of the same.

12. A series `of electrolytic cells consisting I of a plurality of bi-polar electrodes and separating members .alternately arranged and held togetheneachpair of electrodes, jointly with the 4interposed separating member, forming a chamber for the reception of the. electrolyte and such electrodes each consisting of a plate-like carrying member of nonconducting material and carbon pencils removably secured in said member so as to project on both sides of the'same.

Signed by me this 12 day of June, 1911.

THOMAS GRiswoLD, JIL

attested by- E. C. BARs'row, CLARA TURNER. 

